


Close Watch

by panchostokes (badwolfrun)



Series: Nick/Greg Ficlets [61]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Accidental Whump, Angst, Episode: s02e19 Stalker, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Whump, accidental injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22178062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfrun/pseuds/panchostokes
Summary: Nick's back at the lab rather soon after Stalker, and Greg decides to catch up with him.
Relationships: Greg Sanders/Nick Stokes
Series: Nick/Greg Ficlets [61]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1257824
Kudos: 11





	Close Watch

**Author's Note:**

> anon on tumblr: Can you imagine a moment where Greg being his goofy self comes up behind Nick and tries to scare him? But for several reasons, being a cop, the babysitter, and generally doesn’t like people coming up behind him (Greg didn’t know), Nick *hates* it and accidentally pushes Greg hard, almost knocking him down? They both end up apologizing profusely and Nick runs out of there. Greg feels terrible like his favorite superhero just kicked his dog.

_“I keep a close eye on this heart of mine…I keep my eyes wide open all the time…”_

Greg’s lips curled into a half smile as he heard a familiar voice he hadn’t heard in two weeks singing as he strolled by one of the layout rooms in the lab. He saw a tall, dark-haired man filing away old reports into boxes, a pair of headphones on and bobbing his head slightly to the music. He had expected Nick to be back soon, but not _so_ soon, another week, at least, was the last he had heard from Warrick.

Perhaps it was the lyrical content of the song, the reference of keeping “eyes wide open all the time,” or perhaps it was a desire to return to the lighthearted vibe of days old, but unnoticed to Nick, Greg tip-toed behind the man, playfully dancing his fingers on the man’s shoulder one way, and then swerving the other direction…

Right into sharp, bony surface that connected with his chin, turning him away and sending him pummeling towards the ground as Nick had turned, too. A sharp, high exclamation of “ _what the fu–_ ” turned into a seethed inhale of “oh _shit!”_

“Greg, man, I’m _so_ sorry–” Nick huffed as he lifted Greg off the ground, but once Greg found his bearings he quickly let go of the man, holding his hands at a distance, so as not to touch him. 

“’S alright…” Greg muttered as he rubbed his chin. He realized why Nick reacted so violently almost as quickly as he had startled the man from behind. “I should have known you’d be a little jumpy, after…you know…”

Nick’s expression hardened, his lips thinned out, his nostrils flared, already sullen eyes grew darker, sinking onto puffy, discolored skin that would match the bruise forming on Greg’s chin. Even Nick’s softly curved eyebrows furrowed, creasing skin that he quickly covered with a hand that wiped over his face, wiping away the darkness as he plastered on a tight smile. 

“It’s…It’s fine, Greg.”

“Seriously, man, how, uhm…how are you…feeling?”

“Fine.”

“I heard you moved out–”

“Yeah. Look, uh, I’m just…just a little busy, you know, getting caught up on what I missed and all that. I’m _really_ sorry, really man, I didn’t mean too–” Nick cut him off, but Greg held up a hand, that flew slowly, gently onto Nick’s shoulder. Nick winced but didn’t shake the hand off, allowed Greg’s fingers to sink into a soft grip.

“It’s _okay,_ Nick. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”

“Yeah, well, I shouldn’t have reacted so…the way I did. Crime Lab’s probably the safest place, you know?” Nick chuckled softly, nervously, reaching a hand behind his head to scratch it. 

Greg nodded and bowed his head, removed his hand as he sensed Nick’s eagerness to leave the room, which he quickly did–careful to not brush up against Greg, but Greg didn’t help matters by awkwardly shifting in front of him, causing them to attract like magnets, but Nick quickly disengaged and left without another word.

Nick’s words hung in the air and Greg realized why he had returned to work so early after the incident, even an address change couldn’t stop the spirit of a stalker from haunting Nick Stokes. 


End file.
